The Relationship Between Sin and Religion

From the Mecca of . . .
Show 36L The Romans 7 Perspective
Sunday, June 13th, 2021
Aired Tuesday, June 15th, 2021

I want to honestly talk to you about the relationship of sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. to religion and to the life of a believer and follower of God through Christ.

This relationship plagued me as a younger LDS man because though I truly loved and sought God from the heart my love for sin kept me from believing that I could have a relationship with him because the Mormon leadership taught me that when I sinned that relationship was hurt, and even lost, and that I needed to earn it back to be worthy of the Spirit. When I discovered the biblical Christ, and started studying the Bible through Calvary Chapel, the notion of sin was retained but to a lesser extent.

With them, I was forgiven but had to walk by the Spirit and not live by the flesh (which is understandable) but punishment was still inflicted for those who failed to do so – in the form of excommunication or whatever. For years as a Christian the solution to the sin nature verse the inner man remained elusive and I was without understanding – or peace.

The Wrestling with Fleshly Desires

Even as a host/teacher my flesh was strong, and I would find myself, every now and again, warring against the desire for porn, other women, illegal drug consumption or getting drunk. Even as a believer I allowed my anger to boil over and at times my propensity toward violence. What was I to do?

From a religious view, I was at fault, I was to blame, and I was failing. But within me, the Holy Spirit abided, and walked with me, and communicated and gave me insights, never abandoning me for the instances where I allowed my flesh to reign.

How could this be? Was I deluding myself? Convincing myself that an occasional but of flesh was okay with God? Or were the religionists right, and was I either failing as a Christian or worse yet, was I proving I was not a Christian in the first place?

Last Saturday I spent some time with Mary relaxing and consumed a nice portion of Tequila. At first it made me feel super relaxed and therefore complimentary toward her. Then it made me fall asleep. I woke up and wondered about escaping this way. Certainly the escape is fleshly, and not of the Spirit, but was I angering God and hurting my relationship with Him? Was my getting drunk something that proved me an unworthy servant and failing believer or a phony Christian?

We know what most of our brothers and sisters will say, right? But what they say stopped mattering to me years ago as I have discovered that what they say on most things cannot be trusted. I have been searching for years for clues to this warfare between flesh and spirit, and have seriously wondered about the solution. And tonight I want to share with you what I have come to believe.

The Principle of Liberty

To begin, I believe wholeheartedly that God adores liberty and freedom in the lives of his creations. That adoration cuts two ways because on the one hand I believe he gives all of us the liberty to choose how we will live and all things considered holds us responsible for our choices. On the other hand, as a lover of liberty I am also convinced that the living God does not want His creations to lose their liberty to anything or anyone other than His Son.

So, I agree with what Paul said:

1st Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

And the best meaning of that last line is that he would not become a slave to anything as we are all brought under the power of calories, stop lights, taxes and the need to breathe oxygen. So that is the first principle by which I choose to govern my life – I choose to be free and at liberty while refusing to become a slave to anything at the same time.

Choosing Over Being Judged

Under religion I used to see taking escapes like drinking tequila as sinful. Now I see it as in my power to choose, refuse, abuse or use – and not place it in the realm of good and evil, bad or benevolent. It is my use of things is what

Understanding Paul's Struggles

makes them good or evil, and understanding this helps me take responsibility for whatever I do in life while refusing to live under the bondage of this is right and this is wrong. The second thing I have to admit as a Christian is that my primary objective is to walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh. In my mind, this means that I must submit to the will and ways of the Spirit (which scripture defines) and not by the will and ways of the flesh (which is defined by selfishness). The will and ways of the Spirit, called fruit, is described by Paul as Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, self-governance, mercy, kindness against such there is no law. This defines the life of a spirit-led believer much differently than the definition religions provide. It speaks of the heart fruit, the tongue fruit, and the mind fruit and not what goes in the mouth or body.

Lastly, but never least, it was my study of Romans 7 that broke open the whole matter and poured light on the subject a number of years ago. Understand, my interpretation of verses 14 – 27 are not orthodox but I suggest that it is correct and I want to share it with you now. Scripture describes believers pluralistically – new man, old man, inner woman, outer woman, the flesh and the Spirit. Paul speaks of them warring with each other. In Romans chapter 7, Paul uses the nominative, oblique, and reflexive personal pronouns “I, me, and myself” forty-seven times! What does this mean? He is teaching us something through his own experience in the flesh. What does he say here? It will blow your mind if you haven’t taken the time to study it.

Romans Chapter 7

But the big question has been whether what Paul writes is describing himself before his conversion to Christ or afterwards. And as stated, I am convinced it describes Paul’s state and the operation of his mind and body subsequent to (or after) his conversion. For this very reason what he writes is an invaluable message to all who are members of the Body because what he says about himself AS AN APOSTLE is applicable to all. To support my stance that Paul was pointing to himself as a believing apostle I cite Bible scholar Dr. J.P. Wilson who says: "In the fourth verse, Paul changes to the first person plural, because he was speaking of the former experience of Jews who were now Christians. Then in verse seven he uses the first person singular, but speaks in the past tense, because there he describes his own experience when he was an unconverted Pharisee. But by the fourteenth verse (to the end of the chapter) he uses the first person singular, and the present tense because he is describing his own experience since he became a Christian and an apostle."

Paul's Personal Reflections

Rest assured that what Paul is sharing with us is what he himself experienced and felt as a converted Christian as a means to validate and give insight into the very same issues each of us face. Praise God! I mean Praise God because what he writes here is so bloody amazing that, to me, it turns the whole of “perceived Christianity” on its head. He begins in verse 14 and says:

Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

So here, Paul gets more personal – more real, if you will – and describes for us the reality of the battle that rages (even in him) between the flesh and the spirit. And he adds, referring to the fact that he is carnal sold under sin

15 For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

Then in the next line he presents the reverse, and then its opposite again (as if in total frustration!) “for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” Ever feel this way? Paul did too. And here he admits what we all must admit (if we are honest before God) that as Christians, our Spirit is willing (to do good) but our flesh is so weak (it runs to evil like a dog after a bone). In our renewed minds, in our regenerated spirits, by God in us, we long to please, serve and love God and Man but in our flesh we act in opposition to these holy aspirations – and HATE THE

The Struggle Within

I suggest that from this singular and remarkable passage we can observe a number of things: First, any and every born-again Christian longs (from their mind) to do well; to please God, and to love as He loved. This is the prevailing propensity within us by the Spirit – to do right. And born-again Christians (whether they are successful or not) desire such. This is the first point that truly distinguishes a holy individual from the unregenerated sinner. Holy individuals desire holiness. But secondly, the evil which we do as believers disappoints us along the way. This is a source of great grief. This also distinguishes the Christian from the sinner because all true Christians possess a fixed abhorrence of evil . . .

. . . and yet we are wholly conscious of our own imperfections, errors, sins, and drives to dabble in it. These facts create a tension of which every Christian is aware – the fact that we are all fully capable (if our natural selves were to rise up and take over) cannot be ignored.

The Warfare Within

So while we ARE – ARE – ARE absolutely new creations in Christ, and while we HAVE BEEN empowered by and through Him, our flesh continues to retain ALL that we were (and are) as a result of the fall, of previous habits, of former lifestyles, of fleshly propensities, and desires, and perversions, and weaknesses, and therefore strives to express itself. This condition creates a tension between our new man and the former. And scripture describes the tension as warfare.

So in verse 15, Paul wrote:

15 For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

And he goes on saying at 16:

16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

Or in other words, “If I do things I don’t want to do, I can see that the Law is good.” The very “struggle” believers have with evil within proves to us that we don’t love the evil but that it is the law that is good and desired.

Again, and in other words, the very fact that we find ourselves hating the evil we do (and possess a desire to be free from it and to overcome it) is an evidence that we do not love evil but that we are friends of God. That’s pretty amazing, huh?

The Nature of Sin

So, taking the fact that Paul does not like the sin he commits confirms to him that his heart is in the right place with God, he goes a step further and says something totally radical. Ready? (verse 17) He says:

17 Now then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Look out. From what I can tell there are two ways to understand this statement. We could say that Paul is saying that it is not the intentions of his heart to commit sin, but that his flesh takes over and wins . . . but it’s not what he wants . . .

OR

We could take it more literally and think he is saying that it is literally NOT the real Paul that does things (that he doesn’t want to do) but it’s merely the flesh he inhabits and the sin that dwells in it that is acting and it’s where the evil is coming from and not from the “real Paul.”

Take a minute and ask, “What do you think? Are YOU, a born-again Christian, a believer in the finished work of our King for and on our behalf, what is it that rises up and acts or does “what you don’t want to do? Is it your former woman and flesh or is it YOU, the converted Christian! What is doing the acts you don’t want to do?

How you answer this question speaks volumes on the way you perceive salvation, what it looks like for you to be a Christian, and how it describes the way you embark on your Christian walk. In light of a number of biblical tenets we have discussed (like our identity in Christ) and other things we are about to discuss, I want to strongly suggest that we take what the scripture says here and believe it – that is, when we do that which we do not want to do that it is not you or I who does it, but the flesh and the

Identity Beyond Flesh

sin that lives therein . . . (listen) but this is NOT the real eternal you. You are not your flesh, your shell, your bones and hair and teeth and skin. You are a new creature in Christ. All that other stuff will die and erode to dust. But not your new creation. It will live forever. So when you do that which you would not want to do it is no more the New Man that does it but the former, who died once and was buried with Christ. Let me approach this position another way.

Old Testament Law and Physical Perfection

All of our bodies, respectively, come with limitations, diseases, faults, and factors that we cannot do much about as a result of the Fall. The stuff all exists in our flesh but those things are not us. In the Old Testament, and as a picture of the perfect Law of God amidst imperfect people, God told Moses that men with imperfect bodies could not do the work of the priest in offering up bread. What existed in their fleshly bodies disqualified them from doing God’s work.

Leviticus 21:16-21 says:

“And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, None of your descendants throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God. For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, or a hunch-back, or a dwarf, or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles; no man of the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the LORD's offerings by fire.”

This was a type of sin pictured in the physical deformities of a person in the face of the perfection God required under the law.

Again, by way of the Fall, these faults and deformities (and others like them) exist in us. But Christ has “reconciled us” and our “qualifications for service” is that of a “broken heart and a contrite spirit” and have nothing to do with the tents of flesh and DNA which we all continue to inhabit.

Imperfections and Christian Identity

Add in the fact that in addition to these outward physical deformities found in the flesh, humankind also inherits, carries, and in many cases cannot overcome other disfigurements to their physical person – Odd and difficult temperaments, personality traits that can annoy the paint off a wall, mental illnesses, and fifty thousand other things may reside in the flesh of each individual – but again, these things ARE NOT the Christian – they are just part of his or her fleshly house and they will all fade at deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. leaving only the traits of the new creation.

Would we ever tell a man he could not be a pastor if he was missing an arm? Could we ever tell a homosexual that they cannot be a Christian because they were born that way? Would we ever exclude a woman from full fellowship who was covered in a rash, was rude in temperament, or had abortions? Never! Why? Because those things are no more her than a man with a flat nose, a dwarf, or a mentally inhibited soul.

Because we become a Christian, because the Holy Spirit moves into our corrupted houses, does not mean the house becomes perfect – and listen – the fact of the matter is our houses, in most ways, remain the same! But we are not our house!! We are not our flesh because our flesh is evil from the get go. We are what we are by faith! We are what we are by His indwelling spirit. We are what we are in Him – for without Him we are nothing (but sin).

Remember, the true Christian does not love or even like what lives in the house he or she inhabits, and when that flesh acts up it is no more them than a physically deformed believer is them in Spirit.

Confronting Our Flesh

This is why Paul writes what he writes here. He does not approve his actions but he admits that they are the result of his native propensities and passions. In his heart, and conscience as a believer, he would never choose to commit sin – that is the heart of the real him.

Listen to what he goes on and says now at verse 18:

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth

The Struggle Within

“In my fleshly tabernacle there is nothing good at all. But this is not me – which is why I am going to become a new model someday. But until that time, this flesh continues to act up like it used to. But my REAL heart is far from its behaviors,” and then listen to what he adds to this: He adds . . .

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing . . . “. . . for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

The real me, the New me has the desire to do well! He has the best intensions to turn the other cheek, she has the notion that she should forgive and love, but in their flesh they do not find it in their power!

(Verse 19 which essentially echoes what he wrote in verse 15)

19 For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

The War Between Flesh and Spirit

Get ready folks for another repetition of this troubling fact:

20 Now if I do what I don’t want to do, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

He repeats himself! And then he presents a fact he has discovered, a confirmed law, it seems, which appears to be part and parcel of living as believers in these sinful bodies of flesh and he says: (Verse 21)

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

How often do we set out, with the best of Christian intension, to love, and serve, and forgive, and to be selfless ONLY to return at the end of the day having proven the exact opposite! That we are capable of hating, selfishness, and extreme anti-Christian attitudes!

We WANT, we yearn to do His will, to be in line with all the teachings we hear and read and study, but when we go to apply them, we find an inability to know how to be successful! Paul says that the desire is there! The will is even there. But that he failed miserably in the application!

Listen to Paul’s heart for it reflects the heart of every person who loves the Lord:

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

The word Paul uses for “delight” is not found anywhere else in the New Testament – “sunhdomahee.”

The Struggle Against Sin

It means more that to just appreciate something, or to consent to it, it means to literally ADORE it as it brings great pleasure to the soul. It is both an intellectual assent AND an emotional one.

There are many who delight intellectually in the Law of God after the inward man, or regenerated man.

And there are many who delight in the Law of God emotionally after the inward woman.

But this Greek word includes both resonations – and the combination simply leaves the bearer basking in Him.

Oh, does this not picture our love and gratitude for the Lord? The joy and freedom and deliverance we experience in and through being recipients of His Good News.

We delight, rejoice from the heart over His goodness.

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

“But!” Paul adds . . . (verse 22)

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Simply put, “I delight in goodness but in my flesh, in my physical makeup, in the shell of my former man, there is corrupt and sinful propensities, warring and fighting against the law of my mind.”

Then he adds, honestly and realistically,

“bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

Paul then says

Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

He admits clearly the reality of his Christian make-up so we can get it right:

Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of

The Flesh and New Identity

Your flesh will do what your flesh does. You are NOT your flesh. You have a new identity in Christ. That is who you are. That is what yearns for good. I guarantee that your new woman or new man doesn’t want to do evil.

Learning to Walk by the Spirit

That’s the flesh. Which will die. But you, and your renewed heart and mind, learning to walk by the Spirit is what will carry on folks. Praise Him.